“Aliyev’s speech can be considered am Azerbaijan President’s fiasco in the PACE,” characterized RPA MP Karen Avagyan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to the Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s speech at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) summer session on June 24. Recall that Aliyev’s speech was full of anti-Armenian propaganda. He stated that Armenia has occupied his territories, spoke of Armenia’s anti-constructive position in the Karabakh conflict settlement process, and made hints about the fact that this situation (meaning the ceasefire regime -T.H.) cannot be extended forever. Meanwhile, Karen Avagyan considers Aliyev’s “convulsions” results of appearing in unfavorable condition with Azerbaijan’s positions in the diplomatic dimension. The MP observes that if Aliyev’s assurances of democracy, freedom of expression, and human rights protection do not inspire faith, then why we are surprised when he speaks a lie about Artsakh. Referring to the position of the Armenian side, Mr. Avagyan said, “The Armenian side has always spoken in compliance with all international principles, reachable to the ear of the international community, and naturally, our positions are also shared in the PACE. It’s quite different thing as to who understands what, specifically, I mean Aliyev, because, in my opinion, he understands these norms in his own interpretations. Therefore, it is said one thing at the negotiation table, and quite another thing to his own audience. It’s true, Aliyev makes an articulate speech, but his thought is too far from being logical. Event Aliyev’s grandfathers knew that Artsakh never belonged to Azerbaijan.” Karen Avagyan does not think that the statements that were uttered by the lips of Azerbaijan president would be shared by anyone in the PACE. He detailed, “In the course of these years, they already managed to get acquainted with this issue and know that Artsakh needs a solution in compliance with the principles of international law. The worst thing is that Aliyev is trying to voice the militant statements typical to him also in the PACE, with a slight mitigation. I mean his statement that this situation cannot last long.” Karen Avagyan is convinced that Aliyev was expecting another scenario in the PACE and was ready for something different, but the scenario did not evolve as he had designed, and his convulsions put him in unfavorable situation. With this regard, Karen Avagyan noted, “This is also evidenced by the recent violations of the cease-fire. I agree with the opinion that if they succeed in diplomacy, they would keep going with it, and there would not be a border tension.” According to Karen Avagyan, Azerbaijan does not succeed in this platform, since “the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia’s attitude are clear and understood by the world.” To our observation of whether Armenia’s attitude is not clear for Aliyev, since he stated in his speech http.//www.aravot.am/2014/06/24/474125/ that “even Armenia has not recognized the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Republican MP responded, “Armenia has repeatedly said why it had not recognized the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Once Aliyev is saying such a thing, and sometimes the representatives of some of our political
forces. Obviously, they want to divert the peaceful negotiation process.” To our other observation of how it happened that Azerbaijan managed to collect 58 signatures against the Armenia delegation in PACE, Mr. Avagyan responded, “By the oil odor of money smells. We all know how much money Azerbaijan spends on lobbying processes.” We inquired whether the PACE President’s unbeneficial statement for Armenia about territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was not the response of Armenia’s orientation to the Eurasian Union, Karen Avagyan said, “You should not mix up the Karabakh processes with economic processes. I do not think that by saying territorial integrity the PACE President meant the Artsakh area. Artsakh people have all rights like other peoples, including the right to self-determination.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
